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Chiefs power to eighth Super Rugby win

Heading for the tryline ... Lelia Masaga of the Chiefs breaks away to score under the posts. Photo: Getty Images

The Chiefs showed few signs of travel fatigue as they powered to their eighth straight Super Rugby win with a 33-14 victory over the Hurricanes at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton on Saturday.

Returning home earlier this week from an unbeaten three-match overseas stint, the Chiefs took a little time to hit full pace but, once they did, the Hurricanes could find no answer to their hard-running attack.

The Chiefs were particularly effective around the breakdown, and the speed of their ruck ball kept the Hurricanes' defence back-pedalling for much of the opening 40 minutes.

Ahead 12-8 at halftime, the Chiefs extended their lead five minutes after the restart when Lelia Masaga latched onto a flat ball from returning halfback Brendon Leonard and waltzed around Hurricanes halfback TJ Perenara to score under the posts.

Two Beauden Barrett penalties kept the Hurricanes in touch as the 60-minute mark neared, but the Chiefs kept the ball close and showed patience in building pressure after an initial Cruden break brought them to within 10 metres of the line.

Inevitably, try-scoring loosehead prop Sona Taumololo powered over from close in for his seventh try of the season for the Chiefs to lead 26-14 with 15 minutes remaining.

Ten minutes later, replacement prop Toby Smith burrowed over from 5m out in a repeat of Taumololo's effort put the match beyond doubt.